Menu

Erin’s Tips Part II: More great nuggets of PR gold from Erin Bransford

TODAY’S BUZZ TIP | February 12, 2009

What do you look for when someone sends you a press release? A product that fits in with something I’m working on at the moment–or that I can hold onto for the future. A product that’s compelling, unique and visually interesting. Also, an interesting story that really is interesting: one more product from a “mompreneur who saw a gap in the marketplace” might not be that different but a time-saving, life-saving product that happens to have been created by a real mom can be compelling. Realize that we get dozens of releases per day so your product and story has got to stand out in a way that is interesting to the writer.

What is the best way to reach an editor for a pitch? Don’t do pitches over the phone. Many editors won’t even take them this way and will just ask you to email anyway. Writers get so many pitches, it can be too hard to keep track of them. Emails work best because we can file them away for the future if it doesn’t work for right now.
If you had to give one piece of advice to a small company what would it be? Hire a good PR person with the right contacts in the media that covers your industry. One more: Make a great product, stand out in the marketplace–and in how you choose to pitch your product.

What is the biggest mistake companies make when trying to approach an editor/magazine? Two things that will guarantee no coverage: badgering the editor you’re trying to pitch and not having good quality hi res images available when asked for them.